This invention relates generally to magnetic resonance imaging, and more particularly the invention relates to improved selective excitation for imaging by varying the excitation rate.
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging, also called magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is a non-destructive method for the analysis of materials and represents a new approach to medical imaging. It is completely non-invasive and does not involve ionizing radiation. In very general terms, nuclear magnetic moments are excited at specific spin precession frequencies which are proportional to the local magnetic field. The radio-frequency signals resulting from the precession of these spins are received using pickup coils. By manipulating the magnetic fields, an array of signals is provided representing different regions of the volume. These are combined to produce a volumetric image of the nuclear spin density of the body.
A descriptive series of papers on NMR appeared in the June 1980 issue of the IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, Vol. NS-27, pp. 1220-1255. The basic concepts are described in the lead article, "Introduction to the Principles of NMR," by W. V. House, pp. 1220-1226, which employ computed tomography reconstruction concepts for reconstructing cross-sectional images. A number of two- and three-dimensional imaging methods are described. Medical applications of NMR are discussed by Pykett in "NMR Imaging in Medicine," Scientific American, May 1982, pp.78-88, and by Mansfield and Morris, NMR Imaging in Biomedicine, Academic Press, 1982.
Briefly, a strong static magnetic field is employed to line up atoms whose nuclei have an odd number of protons and/or neutrons, that is, have spin angular momentum and a magnetic dipole moment. A second RF magnetic field, applied as a single pulse transverse to the first, is then used to pump energy into these nuclei, flipping them over, for example to 90.degree. or 180.degree.. After excitation the nuclei gradually return to alignment with the static field and give up the energy in the form of weak but detectable free induction decay (FID). These FID signals are used by a computer to produce images.
The excitation frequency, and the FID frequency, is defined by the Larmor relationship which states that the angular frequency, .omega..sub.o, of the precession of the nuclei is the product of the magnetic field, B.sub.o, and the so-called magnetogyric ratio, .gamma., a fundamental physical constant for each nuclear species: EQU .omega..sub.o =B.sub.o .multidot..gamma.
Accordingly, by superimposing a linear gradient field, B.sub.z =z.multidot.G.sub.z, on the static uniform field, B.sub.o, which defines the Z axis, for exmaple, nuclei in a selected X-Y plane can be excited by proper choice of the frequency spectrum of the transverse excitation field applied along the X or Y axis. Similarly, a gradient field can be applied in the X-Y plane during detection of the FID signals to spatially localize the FID signals in the plane. The angle of nuclei spin flip in response to an RF pulse excitation is proportional to the integral of the pulse over time.
In applying the RF magnetic pulse, the specific absorption ratio (SAR) of the excited tissue is proportional to integrated RF power and the peak RF power is proportional to the square of the RF amplitude. SAR may eventually become a limiting consideration in high-speed imaging. Peak power limitations sometimes restrict the number of sinc sidelobes one can fit in a specified interval. Furthermore, optimal control pulses, hyperbolic secant pulses, and pulses insensitive to RF inhomogeneity all demand higher peak amplitudes than conventional sinc pulses. Hence, given a choice of two facsimile pulses, that is, two RF/gradient waveform pairs with identical spatial selectivity, preference is given to the lower-amplitude RF facsimile pulse if the duration penalty is not excessive.
Conventionally, pulse refabrication relies on uniform rate-reduction. For example, one could quarter both the RF and gradient amplitudes while quadrupling the duration. However, the new pulse might become too long for use in imaging short spin-spin relaxation time (T.sub.2) species. Windowing the new pulse to the original duration obviates the penalty in duration but severely degrades the steepness of the slice profile.